Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-06-02
destroyed property of the value Of sl7,5O,
insurance $500,
Only seven business houses were un.
touched by the great fire at Cannon Falls,
MINI. Ks
COM. DAVIDSON DIES.

Commodore William f. Davidson of st
Paul, died at his residence in that city
Thursday evening, May 26 Tuesday night
he suffered stroke of paralysis OF his left
side and lapsed into an unconscious state
from which he rallied after few hours
and retained his faculties until the last
moment, conversing with his family
and attendants, debating his Will,
and taking his farewells of those most near
and dear to him. He was fully aware OF
his condition and in reply to question II
characteristic mental force, ''No, not at ALL
Why should be afraid to die" During
Wednesday and Thursday he suffered much
pain, but was composed and ready Tor the
end, speaking intelligibly ten minutes be-
fore his eyes were closed for his last, MS
long repose
Commodore Davidson was born February
f. 1926 in Lawrence County, Ohio, his faith
er being employed on the Ohio Canal, also
giving portion OF his time to duties as a
opportunities for education, but took to his
fathers avocation, and by the time he was
twenty years of age was the owner of two
boats that ran on the Ohio and Big Sandy
Rivers. Later his boats ran on the Ohio and
Mississippi. In 1854 he arrived at 81. st,
Frank Steele, and from that time his life
work was Unidentified with that city and the
Northwest. He first opened packet line
on the Minnesota river and later on the
Mississippi river and soon had fifteen boats,
of his own running down the river to
Dubuque and then to st. Louis and from
1854 to this time his history and the Mis-
sissippi river traffic are identical, through
the La Crosse a. Minnesota Packet Com.
pany and later the St Louis d st. Paul
Packet Company, he being at the head OF
each organization.
In the year 1856 he married the daughter
of Judge Benjamin johnson of Southern
Ohio, and made his home at st. Paul, where
he has since resided with an interval of
about ten years which he spent in st. Louis
experimenting his large steamboat enter
prises. To Commodore Davidson more
than to any other one man known to its his,
tory, does st. Paul owe its commercial
prominence and prosperity, foI by his
tiring industry, in the pioneer days,
before the railroad era, he laid the founda.
tion, through his transportation lines for the
great city that now laments his loss. Nor
was his steamboat enterprises the sole
object of his work end ambitions He early
became considerable owner of real estate,
constantly adding to his holdings, until
now his estate in this branch is estimated
at S3,000,c00, including the Grand Opera
House, Union block, Davidson block, and
other prominent and valuable business
property, together with residence property
and unimproved lots and tracts.
In his pers nal life he was one of the most
nnassuming and genial of men, always ap
proachaSle but always busy. He was an
indefatigable worker, and found no time for
real rest or recreation, but early and late
was devoted to his extensive, engrossing
and exacting affairs, and to this constant
and mighty strain is due the fact of his early
death, the sudden and almost unnoticed
sundering of his forces. He was generous
to fault and public-spirited
in ways and avenues that will long
remembered and sadly missed AT an early
age he became member of the Baptist
church and was ever a promoter of morality
| and the good of society, with religious
faith that was a part of his nature. His
immediate family, now bereaved are hi.
wife, son, aged 26, and a daughter aged
IA. several children having been taken from
him by death. The City and the State may
we'll lament the loss of such a man, one who
had the opportunity. the ability and the in,
clination to stand and labor for the perma-
nent progress and prosperity of ali his fel-
low men.